Every now and then, a South African celebrity seems to slip through our fingers, making it big internationally without us even realising it (in that they’re actually one of our own). Enter singer, Oshri. Now, if his name sounds familiar to you, chances are that you have already added some of his songs to your playlist (“Bad Reputation”, “Crazy But Free”, or his latest single, “Too Much”). Or maybe you recall a TV show called the TRACE Music Stars competition, where he walked away with top honours as the winner. The show was mentored by Wyclef Jean and broadcast on Trace Urban, the second largest music video television network in the world.

The rest of Oshri’s journey sounds like something out of a movie (“Coyote Ugly” comes to mind).Oshri moved from Cape Town to New York to continue his endeavours with Wyclef in his efforts to gain recognition in the music world. And get this, while Oshri was busy with rehearsals when he was invited to perform at the Trace Urban Music Awards in Paris during 2015, he was spotted and then approached by American pop / R&B superstar, Akon himself, who signed Oshri to his label!Yes, THE AKON!Shortly after the deal was finalised, Oshri began working on his EP with songwriter, Mike Campbell. Now this is a pretty big deal, considering that Campbell is known for co-writing songs like “Say Something” by Christina Aguilera and Great Big World. Oshri now spends most of his time between Los Angeles and New York, and when he can, Cape Town (we heard rumours that he is heading to the Mother City over the December holidays, so let the stalking begin!)

Even if you’re been listening to Oshri’s music, chances are that you haven’t seen just how ridiculously good looking he is until now! Well, we’ve got even greater news for you than sharing these pictures with you. You can see Oshri strip down completely in the music video that he shot in Manhattan, New York for “Crazy But Free” (which even made it onto the BillBoard top 40 Dance Charts). Watch it HEREOshri’s music style (and looks!) is heavily influenced by his family’s cultural diversity, with French and Middle Eastern parents - creating a one-of-a-kind sound and drooling good looks.We love the messages behind his songs. “Crazy But Free” is all about being your authentic self, no matter where you are in the world. His latest single, “Too Much”, is about the pressure that women are under to always look their best with tons of makeup, the best wardrobe, the latest hairstyle trends, and Oshri is saying it is all “Too Much”, and that men like him really just want to fall in love with the girl under all of these outside layers of fake beauty. Oshri is currently shooting a music video for “Too Much”, and we can’t wait to see it. So for now, we’ll just have to be content by listening to the song, which is available on iTunes and Apple Music, and of course watch his other music videos over and over…

So by now we are probably all pretty much in love with Oshri (stand in line, ladies and gents!), and the answer to the question on everyone’s lips is yes, he is currently single - focusing on his career, but definitely looking for “the one”.

Are these positive messages behind the songs on purpose, you might wonder? “Absolutely,” says Oshri. “I believe I have a responsibility as an artist to deliver a message, and not just share my stories. We should elevate our spirits by being good and doing good, believing there is a greater power and picture behind it all.”

The song “Bad Reputation” was actually recorded right here in Cape Town - a collaboration between Oshri and another heartthrob - one of SA’s biggest stars, Jimmy Nevis. Oshri is planning to record additional material with Jimmy during his visit to Cape Town next month.If all this is just the beginning of Oshri’s music career, after already walking the red carpet at the Grammy Awards this year, we cannot wait to see what is waiting for him next. But one thing is for sure, we’ll be watching!For even more of Oshri, visit his website www.oshrimusic.com. Follow him on social media (@Oshri and/or @OshriMusic)